1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a volatile dispensing package which provides for forced air circulation through a bed of solid adsorbent to effect desorption of a volatile adsorbate such as a perfume and the like for a room deodorant.
2. Brief Statement of the Prior Art
Compositions such as room deodorants and the like comprise a volatile perfume agent in a liquid solution or a gel cake. As the product evaporates, the concentration of the volatile agent or size of the solid cake steadily decreases, resulting in a steadily decreasing release rate of the volatile perfume agent. Deodorants also are frequently formed with a plurality of volatile ingredients, e.g., the perfumes and odor masking agents may be a blend of several perfumes, agents and various solvents, or other ingredients of different volatilities employed in the composition. Evaporation from these deodorants also causes changes in the deodorant composition, changing the amount and composition of the released vapor.
The deodorant compositions are employed in a variety of vapor-releasing forms. Some of the deodorants are consolidated into a cake or solid composite, frequently using a deliquescent or sublimating material such as napthalene, paradichlorobenzene, soap, and the like. The solid cake is placed in a container having a closure member which can be removed or positioned to release the active agents. Liquid deodorant compositions are employed with wicks and the like to provide a surface for releasing the volatile ingredients, the user controlling the release rate by the extent of exposure of the wick of the package.
The aforedescribed deodorant products have a number of disadvantages, e.g., the products do not have any provision for a forced air circulation through or about the vapor releasing element such as the wick of a liquid deodorant composition or a solid cake or composite. Solid deodorants unavoidably shrink during their life and have a steadily decreasing release rate proportional to their steadily decreasing surface area. Liquids exhibit a similar declining release rate resulting from a decreasing concentration of the volatile component in the liquid. Since deodorant compositions are frequently formed of a plurality of volatile components having different relative volatility, these compositions unavoidably change during use resulting in a continuing change in the composition of the released volatile components.
Deodorants are also packaged in aerosol, pressure containers with a liquid, vaporizable propellent such as a fluorochloro hydrocarbon and the like. These packages have the disadvantage of relatively low net contents of useful deodorant and additionally, are finding public disfavor because of the possibility of adverse environmental effects of the propellent.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a deodorant composition which can be provided in a package having means for forced air circulation through the package to effect a controlled dispensing of the volatile components. It is also desirable that the deodorant be packaged to insure that the deodorant will maintain a substantially constant composition of the released volatile ingredients throughout its useful life.
This invention comprises a package for the dispensing of a volatile component which comprises a container having vapor inlet and outlet port means communicating with an internal, first chamber, and a collapsible, second chamber mounted in sealing communication with the first chamber through its vapor inlet port means. The collapsible second chamber communicates exteriorly through a check valve means mounted in a wall of the chamber whereby the collapsible second chamber can function as an air pump for introducing a flow of air through the first chamber. The first chamber is substantially filled with a bed of inert solid adsorbent granules which contain adsorbed thereon an adsorbate formed of at least one volatile ingredient for dispensing to the atmosphere through the vapor outlet port means.
The solid adsorbent and the volatile ingredient adsorbate are selected to provide an adsorption isotherm characteristic of substantially constant vapor pressure, and independent of the concentration of the adsorbate on the solid adsorbent. In the preferred embodiment, the bed of inert solid adsorbent granules comprises an admixture of a plurality of inert solid fractions, each fraction comprising an inert, particulate, solid carrier having adsorbed thereon a volatile ingredient of a volatile composition to provide volatile, component-bearing solid fractions of preselected specific surface area, adsorbate concentration, particle size and adsorption isotherm characteristics. The solid fractions are blended together in proportions to provide a proportional release rate of their respective volatile component whereby the vapor released from the package is of a preselected, desired composition.